Captain Ed is a father and grandfather living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, a native Californian who moved to the North Star State because of the weather. He lives with his wife Marcia, also known as the First Mate, their two dogs, and frequently watch their granddaughter Kayla, whom Captain Ed calls The Little Admiral... [read more]

The French have spent their New Year in much the same manner they have spent the last few that preceded it -- by the glow of the fires of their vehicles. In a disturbing new tradition, residents of the Muslim banlieus have set fire to over 300 vehicles:

A car burns after a huge police operation involving 25,000 officers failed to quell one of the most entrenched new year rituals in France, with vandals — many of them children — setting on fire 313 vehicles throughout the country. The worst-hit region was Alsace, where 106 vehicles were set ablaze, including 28 in Strasbourg.

The attacks are seen as a product of tension on the suburban estates that are home to the bulk of France’s five-million-strong immigrant community. Most of the cars were burnt in areas with unemployment rates of up to 40 per cent. The national average is 8.7 per cent.

In the Seine-Saint-Denis département — one of the most troubled areas — officers detained three children aged between 10 and 12 carrying petrol cans. In Élancourt a car was driven into a children’s leisure centre and set on fire.

This is success; the massive police presence actually lowered the number of torched cars from 425 to 313, a 25% reduction. It's remarkable, however, that with that level of police involvement, that 313 cars still got lit up -- and that this arson problem continues for at least two years after its eruption.

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» French Youth Ring in the New Year Burning Cars from Blue Star Chronicles
France is burning ….. again. The New Year was rung in by what is referred to as French ‘youth’ by the rampage burning of approximately 400 vehicles.
A total of 313 vehicles were set on fire, primarily by young people overnight around ... [Read More]